“I need a balcony,” Cooper said.
“A balcony?” My room with Harmony didn’t even have awindow.
“Yeah,” Cooper said as he touched his key to his lei-less door.
He opened it and gestured me through—and I wasn’t five steps in before I was overcome with envy.
I hadn’t seen much in those panicked seconds when I’d entered my own cabin just now, but I’d seen enough to know it was—again:windowless. And also about the size of a jail cell.
This place, on the other hand, was a stateroom for dignitaries.
I positively leered at it. It had a double bed, with sconces, a patterned carpet, ambient lighting, and a full wall of sliding glass doors that opened onto a luxurious balcony overlooking the harbor.
Plus a champagne bottle chilling on ice with two glasses on the bedside table. Not even kidding.
“You ‘needed’ this room?” I asked, walking to open the balcony door.
“Yes,” Cooper said, following me.
We stepped out onto the balcony and looked down at the harbor below.
“Define ‘needed,’” I said.
“I have a condition where I need two exit points at all times.”
“You mean your claustrophobia?” I asked.
“I don’t have claustrophobia,” Cooper said.
“Yes, you do.” Our whole neighborhood knew that.
“I havecleithrophobia,” Cooper said. “Which is not the same thing.”
“What is it, then?”
“It’s a fear of getting trapped.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Claustrophobia.”
But Cooper shook his head. “Claustrophobia is a fear of small spaces.”
Huh. Interesting. “Your phobia should rebrand,” I said. “It sounds like a knockoff.”
“I agree.”
“I’ve never even heard of it.”
“No one has,” Cooper said. “It’s very niche.” Then he added, “My case is mild, if that’s any comfort.”
“Who needs comfort?” I said, glancing back toward his room. “You’ve got the best cabin of anyone.”
Eleven
THE FIRST ORDERof cruise wedding business was a welcome gathering at noon on the sports deck up top before we even left port—a mini-golf tournament for the wedding guests with a buffet lunch afterward. Ashley put me on Finn’s team, so even though I hadn’t seen him yet, it was only a short matter of time.
I checked my watch. We had exactly one hour to get ready, and I’d need the whole thing.
“Can I change in your bathroom?” I asked Cooper as I unzipped my suitcase.
